Car Park Design

Name

Institution
Introduction

Car park it’s an arrangement to cater for proper alignment of the vehicles within the

environment fraternity. However, the arrangement of the design is a major factor when

developing the car park in the compound of a building. Parking is important in the proposed

project because it will have a positive impact on the advancement relationship between the

streets and adjoin the spaces. Parking is a key and a compulsory aspect that should be considered

when designing the car park project. Well-organized and proper management of the car park will

help in ensuring that there is a safe environment for the children and functional operation for

drivers. The process of integrating the car park with the overall project design and the

environment creates a conducive working environment in the facility. To be able to come up

with a quality mixed design, the car park design and where the site is located should be

implemented together with the building. Nevertheless, a well-designed car park will ensure that

there are easy response and hence will contribute to positive impacts on its built environment. So

as to ensure that the engineers of the car park achieve the targeted design of the car park they

should have a detailed knowledge of the existing site conditions and the wider area. The design

statement of the building is a very important tool in the construction of the car park since it’s the

one that will be followed as a manual for effective procedures of uncovering the given

architectural design. The design map or the architectural drawing is explained in detail on the

design statements for the car park. The main entrance towards the area where the car park is

located must be clearly legible, without using much of the space or dominating the building

structure. However, the facial design look of the entrance must be developed to supplement the

building's front phase. If the entrance is poorly designed it can lead to misunderstanding and

confusion to drivers or the patrons which can lead to safety issues.

 Factors to consider when designing the car park

In the process of designing and building the car park, there are several factors that need to

consider for the proper provision of parking on a building. Therefore, the suitable solutions

towards the construction will be contingent on the type of project and factors which include the

following.

The value of the Land: The value of the land at which the facility is constructed will help to

determine if the car park will be developed in the basement, stacked or elevated.

Car park location should be measured in the early stages of the design process since it affects

most of the key elements of a building which comprise street frontages, access, and structural

grids.

Car Park demand and type of vehicle: The demand for the parking space is a key factor

contributing to wills the total parking area required for the development of the park. However,

the car park design should consider all types of vehicles so that in future any type of vehicle can

get a comfortable parking lot.

The car park dimensions & planning controls: The design plan of the crèche building will help

in determining the shape and height of parking areas.

Semi-basement

The unavailability of space within the compound will force the engineers to design the

car park in the basement of the building which is believed to be underground parking. However,

the basement car park is designed by parking area partly below ground level that’s through the

partial basement of the building or the outside area of the building opposite to the facility. The

nature of the basements is that they require waterproofing, substructure and less excavation as

compared to the full underground parking (Litman, 2018). Semi-basement parking can help solve
certain site-specific issues. The semi-basement car parks are mostly suitable for the buildings

that have a water table that inhibits the development of deeper basements. Nevertheless, the

semi-basement car park is consistently due to the ground floor that is raised above the street

level. This is a significant approach for the car park because of its raised level and it helps in

avoiding security issues to ground floor areas while it offers a greater outlook of the entire

vicinity. A lot of careful protocols need to be considered if a commercial spacing is provided at

this raised ground level since it will make it hard for the disabled to have access for wheelchair

or pushchair users. Where the car park is located it should sit above the ground level ventilation

grilles and must be merged into the front phase of the area or landscape design to reduce the

visual impact of the car park area.

The Car Park Design

Providing suitable signage to signal the car park entry

To locate the signage must be high so as to make it sufficient to the size acceptable to be

seen from a long distance while the vehicle is approaching. However, the drivers of the vehicle

require sufficient time to be able to identify the car park entrance and move towards it, mostly

when the lane change is required. Nevertheless, a good balance is key to creating a noticeable car

park entrance panel without using a lot of eyesores. In the implementation of the car park, we

consider coming up with a design set up which will incorporate the architectural design elements

into the entire building.

The design statement of the building is a very important tool in the construction of the car

park since it’s the one that will be followed as a manual for effective procedures of uncovering

the given architectural design. The design map or the architectural drawing is explained in detail
on the design statements for the car park. The main entrance towards the area where the car park

is located must be clearly legible, without using much of the space or dominating the building

structure

The car park design should be of a high standard.

The car park design should not have oversized care entrances that create large holes in

the buildings font phase. The implementation of recess car park entrance design is a high

standard design for the parking area design (Patel, 2017). However, the masquerade garage

security grilles should also be included so as to complement the crèche project design proposal.

The areas at which doors are not available, therefore it’s important to ensure that the interior

design of the car park is visible and it can only be done by incorporating the façade design with

the visual impact of the building.

The movement of pedestrians

In the crèche compound, there are footpaths through which vehicles can cross through

and hence it’s important to minimize the access points by the vehicles to ensure that safety of the

pedestrians is cared for. However, it is important to locate the car park entrance to the far ends of

the main streets and service lines so as to avoid disrupting the movement of pedestrians in the

footpaths. Ensuring that there are clear sightlines through which the pedestrian and vehicle cross

through is important because will ensure safety for all the people within the crèche compound.

Clear sightlines can be implemented through developing drawing backs to the walls that

are adjacent to the driveway by giving provision of glazing slots in the car park walls.

Nevertheless, it’s important to use speed pumps and other appropriate traffic management

measures to slow down vehicles when they are moving cross all pedestrian areas, particularly at

the end of long slopes where drivers could gain speed before emerging from basements.
Implementing the use of the rule of the thump

To locate car entrances areas that are away from the pedestrian street areas and on

secondary lines it’s important to use the rule of the thump to make it much easier. However, car

access roads must be developed and implemented in the estimated dimensions that will make

them narrow (Chahade, 2019). To maintain a positive street interface, ground

floor parking should be sleeved with active edges. The car park ground level takes out the

requirement for bump space inclines, costly structures and water-sealing, and is in this manner a

basic, proficient and practical stopping typology.

In any case, there is a natural clash in giving leaving at road level where it interfaces with

people in general and person on foot domain as this can bring about vehicle commanded and

regularly dull dormant road frontages. Where ground floor stopping is essential, it ought not be

given promptly adjoining lanes and other open regions. To keep up a positive road interface,

ground floor stopping ought to be sleeved with dynamic edges.

Minimum recommended width dimensions for a typical passenger car are as follows:

 Lane one: 3.8m (3m+400mm curb either of the sides)

 Lane two: 5.9m (5.2m+500mm curb either of the side)

Minimum recommended height clearance dimensions for vehicle access are as follows:

 Typical Passenger Car: 2.2m

 Typical Truck (for instance: rubbish truck): 3.4m - 3.7m

It’s important to note that, that the hired engineers must be able to offer specifically the good car

park dimensions as per the crèche building so as to achieve lower head height clearances, for

example down to 2.3m.

The building design is one of the most important factors to consider before embarking on

building any structure. For a building to be successful, the plans, specs have to be followed and

stick to them. Following the plan will give a better budgeting and what materials would be

needed for the construction of the car park. This also helps in getting a rough idea of how the

completed project would look like. The car park design should encourage driver’s social,

physical and intellectual development through the creativity and learning from care givers and

other children in the facility. The car park design should always encourage and highlight a high

quality safety and care of the children within the facility. A well thought street and lane design

will address the requirements for the vehicles and cars so as to make the people within the

compound more comfortable while performing their duties.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the car park design should be well-organized and proper managed to help

in ensuring that there is a safe environment for the children and functional operation for drivers.

The process of integrating the car park with the overall building design and the environment

creates a conducive working environment in the facility. To be able to come up with a quality

mixed design, the crèche design and where the site is located should be implemented together

with the building. The method used in the development of the car park will foster a coherent and

good quality vicinity that’s open with spaces, and with a reliable character and distinct identity

for the car park. Nevertheless, a well-designed car park will ensure that there are easy response

and hence will contribute to positive impacts on its built environment.

References
Chahade, T., Schober, K. U., & Morillas, L. (2019). Interactive structural design of hyperbolic

grid shells. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Structures and Buildings, 1-12.

Patel, R. (2017). Putting people first: an architectural approach to improving the quality of life

to create a safer community in an Auckland suburb (Master's thesis).

Litman, T. (2018). Parking Management Strategies. In Parking Management Best Practices (pp.

86-225). Routledge.